ShoreRivers is inviting the public to get out in their communities and explore their local waterways through a series of expeditions around the region.

On the schedule are:

• A walking tour of Chestertown centered on environmental justice on Wednesday, May 1
• A paddle with the Choptank Riverkeeper of Tuckahoe Creek on Thursday, May 2
• A family wetland exploration day at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) on Saturday, June 8
• A Corsica River paddle with the Chester Riverkeeper on Wednesday, June 12
• A farm-to-table tour of Oksana’s Produce Farm on Thursday, June 20
• A morning paddle on Granary Creek with the Miles-Wye Riverkeeper on Thursday, June 27
• A tour of Wye Farm with wildlife artist Jonathan Shaw on Wednesday, July 17
• A family paddle at Tuckahoe Lake on Saturday, July 20
• A farm tour (featuring edible flowers) at Wildly Native Flower Farm on Wednesday, July 24
• A paddle among the lotus blooms with the Sassafras Riverkeeper on Thursday, July 25
• A tour of Chesapeake Culinary Center and a lesson on cooking with invasive species on Thursday, August 8
• An evening of pizza and permaculture with the Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute on Tuesday, August 20
• An afternoon lesson on fly fishing near Mill Creek on Wednesday, September 18
• A paddle on Kings Creek with the Choptank Riverkeeper on Thursday, October 3
• A tour of Ferry Cove Oyster Hatchery on Thursday, November 7

These expeditions are small group experiences offering learning and fun, and are a wonderful way to support ShoreRivers’ work for clean water on the Eastern Shore. From paddles to tours of restoration sites, to hands-on adventures, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

“We know that access to our waterways fuels environmental stewardship,” says ShoreRivers’ Membership Manager Courtney Leigh. “It’s our hope that participants in these annual expeditions—in addition to taking in the natural beauty of our rivers, learning from partners who share our vision of thriving communities, and engaging with vibrant team members who lead the charge for clean waterways—will also develop a stronger connection to the bays, rivers, and creeks we all cherish on the Eastern Shore.”

To register and for individual event details, visit shorerivers.org/events.

ShoreRivers is pleased to announce a brand-new initiative that will have direct benefits to Eastern Shore water quality: Tree the Shore!

Thanks to a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to ShoreRivers, the Tree the Shore program will fund the planting of 1,000 new trees throughout Cambridge, Chestertown, Denton, Easton, and Federalsburg. Trees must be planted in areas that benefit the greater community: in front yards, along sidewalks, or in local parks or community open spaces. ShoreRivers is actively seeking input from community members to help identify opportunities within their neighborhood for planting this ambitious number of trees by spring 2026.

Trees provide proven benefits to people, animals, and our rivers. They cool the summer air of our towns, soak up rainwater that might otherwise flood our streets, provide food and shelter for songbirds, capture pollution from the air, and return the oxygen that we breathe. Unfortunately, many of our rural towns are currently lacking a healthy tree canopy. According to a recent and comprehensive study by the Harry Hughes Center, Maryland loses about 3,000 acres of forest every year, leading to poor water quality, fragmentation and loss of wildlife habitat, reduced carbon sequestration, localized flooding, and lower property values. On the Eastern Shore, our counties and rivers ar some of the least treed areas in Maryland, with Kent and Queen Annes counties tied for last place.

“Trees dramatically change the livability of our streets, and ShoreRivers is dedicated to growing a lush tree canopy across our watersheds,” said Jennifer Vaccaro, ShoreRivers’ Community Restoration Coordinator. “We envision a future where residents all across the Eastern Shore enjoy the beauty, shade, and life of a tree while it silently and steadily works for healthier waterways.”

In addition to providing funding for trees, ShoreRivers is also able to help partners with their plantings. In some cases, these will be led by ShoreRivers Tree Stewards—volunteers trained to work within their communities to identify areas in need of tree canopy, create planting designs, and organize and lead tree planting projects. If you don’t have a location that’s right for Tree the Shore but would still like to get involved, please visit shorerivers.org/programs/treestewards to learn more.

ShoreRivers is committed to working with all communities, especially historically underserved communities, to plant trees that will shade their homes and mitigate flooding. The organization is currently pursuing additional funding to plant trees beyond the towns targeted by this Chesapeake Bay Trust grant.

The public is encouraged to request trees and learn more about the Tree the Shore initiative by visiting shorerivers.org/tree-the-shore.

ShoreRivers is pleased to announce the return of its highly anticipated State of the Rivers events—a series of free presentations held each spring to inform the public about the current state of our Eastern Shore waterways and what we can all do to protect and restore them. Whether this will be your first or your 15^th State of the Rivers, we invite everyone to attend, learn, and enjoy—and bring a friend, too!

Each year, between April­ and October, ShoreRivers’ professional Riverkeepers conduct weekly tidal sampling of more than 60 sites from Cecilton to Cambridge, then test for multiple scientific water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen, nutrient pollution, chlorophyll, and clarity. These indicators reveal the overall health of our waterways and our progress toward protecting and restoring our local rivers. ShoreRivers, statewide groups, and national agencies use this information to track trends, develop remediation strategies, advocate for stronger laws and enforcement, alert the public of potential health risks, and inform region-wide efforts toward clean water goals.

The public is invited to learn more about the results of this testing at this year’s State of the Rivers presentations, hosted around the region by the Riverkeepers themselves. Light refreshments, including local oysters, will be provided. ShoreRivers is grateful for this year’s State of the Rivers sponsors: The Packing House, the Garfield Center for the Arts, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, Cult Classic Brewing, Choptank Oyster Co., Orchard Point Oysters, Ten Eyck Brewing Company, Happy Chicken Bakery, the Betterton Volunteer Fire Department, and John Andrew McCown.

Please save these dates for this year’s State of the Rivers presentations:

Wednesday, April 17, at Betterton Fire Hall, from 5:30–7pm | State of the Sassafras River & the Bayside Creeks, hosted by Riverkeeper Zack Kelleher

Thursday, April 25, at The Packing House in Cambridge, from 5:30–7pm | State of the Choptank River, hosted by Riverkeeper Matt Pluta

Monday, April 29, at Cult Classic Brewing in Stevensville, from 5:30–7pm | State of the Miles River, Wye River, and Eastern Bay, hosted by Riverkeeper Ben Ford

Wednesday, May 8, at the Garfield Center for the Arts in Chestertown, from 5:30–7pm | State of the Chester River, hosted by Riverkeeper Annie Richards

In addition to analyzing water quality data and communicating this information to the public, Riverkeepers use their weekly sampling as an opportunity to monitor changes along shorelines, identify potential indications of illegal discharges, and scout submerged aquatic vegetation beds. These observations, coupled with the quantitative data collected throughout the year, paint a holistic and well-informed picture of the health of each river and its tributaries. Riverkeepers work collaboratively with the community and with ShoreRivers’ other departments (including education, agriculture and restoration, and community engagement) to increase awareness of the issues, inspire behavior change, and implement practices for healthier river systems.

“Eastern Shore waterways are choked by polluted runoff from residential, commercial, and agricultural properties,” said Matt Pluta, ShoreRivers’ Choptank Riverkeeper & Director of Riverkeeper Programs. “Intentional and unintentional bacterial contamination poses risks to human health. Regular scientific monitoring for these and other pollutants is a signature component of ShoreRivers’ operations and the only comprehensive testing of our local rivers currently being conducted. Please join us at a State of the Rivers event in your area to learn what’s happening, why it’s happening, and the important ways we can work together to make it better.”

For more information about these events, visit shorerivers.org/events.

Celebrate the end of summer with ShoreRivers and the Miles-Wye Riverkeeper at the Shaw Bay Raft-Up Concert from 3–6 pm on Saturday, Sept. 9. The Eastport Oyster Boys will be making their 20^th appearance and the Wye River Band will be back for their fourth at this free concert, which aims to raise funds and awareness for clean water efforts on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

This annual benefit concert is a must for mariners of all kinds. Bring your dinghy, paddle board, kayak, sailboat, or power boat, and join the floating raft up to enjoy live music in Shaw Bay, near the mouth of the Wye River. Visit shorerivers.org/events to find sponsorship opportunities, a map of nearby locations from which to launch your vessel, and to sign up to receive text updates on the event.

While the concert is free, donations are welcome, with all proceeds helping to promote the clean water initiatives of ShoreRivers on the Miles and Wye rivers and Eastern Bay. Attendees are asked to use the organization’s pumpout boat services while in Shaw Bay, and throughout the boating season, to help with these efforts.

Since May 2016, the ShoreRivers pumpout boat has removed more than 90,000 gallons of waste from boaters on the Miles and Wye. The pumpout boat is funded by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and operates in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD. The vessel operates Friday–Sunday and on holidays from mid-May through mid-November. Pumpouts may be scheduled on VHF Channel 9 or by contacting Captain Jim at 410.829.4352 or [email protected].

ShoreRivers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education. Our local waterways are polluted by excess nutrients and sediment that run off of urban, suburban, agricultural, and commercial land. ShoreRivers is dedicated to implementing real solutions through programs and projects to improve the health of these waterways. To learn more, please visit shorerivers.org.

Event questions may be directed to Freya Farley at [email protected].